Semua Bab Just Say Yes: Bab 31 - Bab 40

That was the only phrase that accurately described how I’d been acting since Stevan walked into my life.The mere sight of that pathetic asshole looming over him, intimidating him, had been enough to make me completely lose my mind and nearly do something irreversible. Could I have handled the situation differently? Yes. But I couldn’t stop myself.I needed to understand what it was about Stevan that made me act so recklessly, abandoning every shred of logic I’d built my life around. Even asking him to tend to my hand—a ridiculous, minor injury—had been nothing more than an excuse to keep him close a little longer.Those thoughts consumed me all the way to my office. Stevan looked like he was afraid to even voice what was on his mind. I chose silence instead, trying to make sense of the strange, inconvenient feelings he kept stirring up inside me.While he went to the bathroom to get the first-aid kit, I sat on the sofa and stared at my bruised knuckles. I asked myself if I would have

Hours ago, I’d been in a conference room, being watched by the owner of the company. Now here I was, back to my cracked reality.Life had a cruel sense of humor.A noise from the bedroom pulled me out of my thoughts. I stood up immediately.My mom appeared in the doorway, wearing her old robe, hair pulled back messily. Even so, her eyes were the same as always—sharp, worried, like she could see straight through me.“Son? You’re home at this hour? Did something happen at work?”I sighed and pulled her into a hug. She smelled like medicine and chamomile tea—that familiar scent that always tightened my chest, reminding me exactly why I did all of this.“Something did happen, Mom… but I think it’s good news.”She pulled back slightly, frowning.“My boss got fired today.”I waited a beat before continuing.“He wasn’t a good person. He used his position for all the wrong things… and he did it to me too. Today, the president of the company walked in while he was threatening me and stepped in

StevanAfter that look and that smile, Eric headed upstairs, and I went back to the bar. I stood there, polishing the same glass for minutes on end, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Two nights in a row. Ágata had warned me he never did that.“You okay, Stevan? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”Diego appeared beside me, drying a glass with the towel slung over his shoulder.“I’m fine,” I answered shortly, not meeting his eyes.“Ágata told me you went upstairs yesterday and walked away with escort commission.” He let out a mischievous little laugh. “You’re not going to tell me anything?”I stopped scrubbing the glass and drew in a deep breath.“It’s not what you’re thinking.”“Oh, no? Because I’m thinking one of the richest guys who’s ever set foot in here is coming back for you. And that, my friend, is a story I can’t ignore.”I rolled my eyes, but my heart picked up speed.“He just… wanted to talk.”Diego raised an eyebrow, skeptical.“Talking two nights in a row? In

StevanWhen I reached the door of Booth 3, I stopped for a few seconds.I took another deep breath, as if that might somehow organize the thoughts spinning in circles inside my head.Then I knocked three times. I didn’t have to wait long.His deep voice came through the door and sent that inconvenient shiver down my spine—the one I was already starting to associate with him.I pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside.Eric stood by the glass wall, watching the movement on the floor below. The soft lighting in the room highlighted his broad shoulders and the easy posture of someone who seemed to belong wherever he went.It was irritating.Some people simply carried a presence that dominated a space without effort. And Eric was one of those people.Even outside the company, I kept the formality. After the day we’d had, it felt safer to maintain some distance between the president of the company and the employee who’d almost embarrassed himself in front of him more than once.But a

StevanReprimandI kept walking down the hallway without looking back. Every step felt heavier, as if the floor wanted to pull me under.I could still feel everything: the indignation burning in my chest, the hurt tightening my throat, the taste of that kiss clinging to my mouth. It was halfway down the stairs that the reality finally hit me. I stopped suddenly, one foot on the step, the other still in the air.“I… stood up to Eric Winter?”The question came out in a whisper, but it slammed into my head like a brick.Great, Stevan. Congratulations.I’d always wanted to say what I thought. How many times had I imagined confronting my former boss, the idiots at the company, and the teachers who looked down on me? A million times. But I’d never had the courage. And now, of all moments, I decided to open my mouth with the one person I could least afford to cross?“He’s the owner of the fucking company where I work,” I muttered, feeling panic climb up my spine. “Can I already consider myse